The House of the Spirits: Critical Quotations

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3.) Analyze “Barrabas came to us by sea, the child Clara wrote in her delicate calligraphy. She was already in the habit of writing down important matters, and afterward, when she was mute, she also recorded trivialities, never suspecting that fifty years later I would use her notebooks to reclaim the past and overcome terrors of my own.” Alba is talking about what Clara wrote. These are the first words in the book. At the end, nearly the same paragraph is the last words. Clara wrote this in her journal. Turns out, Clara wrote in her journal to give to Alba one day. “At birth Rosa was white and smooth, without a wrinkle, like a porcelain doll, with green hair and yellow eyes—the most beautiful creature to be born on earth since the days of original sin, as the midwife put it, making the sign of the cross.” Rosa is Clara's older sister. Rosa was supposed to marry Esteban. Before they were wedded Rosa was poisoned by accident, and died. Clara sensed that there would be a death in the family. Esteban and Clara ended up getting married years later. “He could hardly guess that the solemn, cubic, dense, pompous house, which sat like a hat amidst its green and geometric surroundings, would end up full of protuberances and incrustations, of twisted staircases that led to empty spaces, of turrets, or small windows and could not be opened, doors hanging in midair, crooked hallways, and portholes that linked the living quarters so that people could communicate during the siesta, all of which were Clara's inspiration.” Esteban builds a house. It was a beautiful house. This selection foreshadows what will happen to the house in the future. The house becomes a victim of circumstance. It loses it's beauty and shows pain. "I set my curse on you, Esteban!" Ferula shouted back. "You will always be alone! Your body and soul will shrivel up and

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